How to Make Dumplings | Baking, Recipes and Tutorials - The Pink Whisk (2024)

FAQs

Why aren t my dumplings light and fluffy? ›

The trickiest part of the dumplings remaining fluffy lies with the cooking time. If the dumplings are cooked for too long, then they will become hard. If they are cooked and allowed to remain in the heated environment – in the hot liquid or covered in the hot pot, then the dumpling will contract and get hard.

A teaspoon of sugar adds an extremely subtle hint of sweetness. It also helps the dumplings retain their moisture through the cooking process and slows gluten development, which ensures tender dumplings. A pinch of salt seasons the dumplings and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook dumplings in batches of about eight until they are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

There are three basic ways: steaming, boiling, and steam-frying. There is also deep-frying or serving with a crispy lacy “skirt.” While the cooking method depends heavily upon your mood and what you are craving, it also depends on the shape of your dumpling.

The dumplings will be completely cooked and ready when they float on the surface of the boiling water.

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Overcooked dumplings will start to fall apart and disintegrate in the broth, so don't walk away from the stove.

Hand-mincing meat and adding more pork belly results in the juiciest dumplings. Traditionally, some Chinese cuisine uses hand minced meat for their dishes. For example, lots of dim sum items like siu mai, pork buns, beef meatball, and more use hand minced meat to control the texture and fat content of the dish!

When the stew has about 30 mins to go, arrange the dumplings on top and cover with a lid. With the oven at 160C/140C fan/gas 3, cook the stew and dumplings for 20 mins, then remove the lid and cook for another 10 mins until they're brown and puffed up.

Why do you add cold water to boiling dumplings? ›

Adding cold water to the dumplings to not over boil them too quickly, making sure to get all of the dough thoroughly cooked is a definite pro tip.

The recipe below can be used either way. You might also like our recipe for cream cheese ranch chicken. This is a basic recipe and works for me every time. You can use milk instead of water and some people even sweeten with a little sugar if adding dumplings to fruit.

For dumplings made with wheat flour, all purpose or plain flour will suffice. If your recipe calls for leavening, you'll need to add baking powder and salt. Alternatively, you can use self-rising flour which has the leavening included. For a lot of dumplings, plain flour is all that is required with no baking powder.

Sprinkle additional flour on top of the dough. Lightly knead dough, adding additional flour as needed, until dough is no longer sticky. Divide dough in half and roll one half at a time.

Heat a pan on medium-high with a couple tablespoons of oil in it. Once hot, add your frozen dumplings. Cook in oil for about three to four minutes, turning once to sear multiple sides. Then add just enough water to cover dumplings about halfway, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

I find boiling is best for dumplings that have a filling with a stronger flavour such as my lamb and onion dumplings. Pan-frying is better in fillings with a lighter flavour such as these vegetable dumplings where you can notice the extra fried toastiness.

Cover and simmer the dumplings over medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down on the stove so the liquid doesn't overflow the pot. Cover the pot to trap the remaining heat in, then set your timer. The dumplings will be soft and flavorful when they're done.

Cook them covered for about ten minutes and then uncover for a while to thicken up.